Car-switching mechanism.



PATENTBD MAR. 20, 1906.

. H. E. SHARP. GAR ASWI'ICHING MEGHANISM.

APP`LIGATION FILED JULY 19. 1905.

' 'z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

y. H..E. SHARP.

)GAR SWITGHING MEGHANISM.

APILICATION FILED JULY 19,-1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

low the selected v is necessary HARRY E. SHARP, OE ROCKvILLE,

CONNECTICUT, ASSICNOR OE ONE;

HALE To GEORGE ULRICH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-SWITOHING MECHANlsM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented March 2o, 1.906.

Application filed July 19,11905. Serial N02`i7035`6- To all whom t may concern' f Be it knownthat I, HARRY E. SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockville, in the `county of Tolland .and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Oar-Switchin Mechanism, of which the following is a speci cation.

- This invention relates to car switching mechanism; and its object is to provideimproved means controlled lfrom the car for causing it to pass upon the desired trackwhen it is necessary to switch the car. As av movable part in the track is objectionable, the device is constructed7 to operate with a fixed frog at the switching-point.

Primarily the object' of my invention is the provision of an auxiliary flanged ring, under control of the motorman, which at the de sired time may be caused to act upon a fixed frog, by means of which the maincar-Wheels are temporarily controlled and caused to foltrack.

Attention in the construction of this" device has been given to the avoidance as much as possible of alterations in the present car axle 'and wheel construction. the axle left intact, and but little or no change in the present formof the wheel.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the general construction. Fig.

2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,l showing the normal position of thel device.

` Fig. 3 is a like/view showing the position when the eccentric `disks or rings are thrown for action. Fig. 4fshows in plan theleading axle with lianged track-wheels and controlling-rings and the `fixed frog upon which the controllin -rings act in forcing the main wheels to eave the track on which they have been running for the branchtrack. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the wheel construction, Showing how the controlling flanged*A ring may be attached'to the wheel, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modified formof wheel.

Like characters v designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral-1l` designates a truck-frame of usual 'construction; 2, the car-wheels; 3, the axles; 4, the track, and 5 a compressedair cylinder secured to the truck and. containing a piston for actuating devices hereinafterdescribed. A pipe 6 conducts motive fluidto the cylinder Especially is 5.- Designatedby 7 is the piston-rod and'by 8 alink articulatedto saidf piston-rod at one end andat its-opposite extremity to one arm of a-le'ver 9, pivoted at 9 to the framerof the truck.

Fitted upon thehubg2 of each car-'wheel'2 is a disk 10, rabbeted on its periphery at 10,

and in said rabbeted periphery 1s mounted an` eccentric 12, composed hof' two f sections 12 122, each section being also rabbeted at 1.23 to fit the rabbeted portionof" the disk lO'and to receive the edge -of-a securing-disk 13, as illustrated in Fig.' 5. Boltsll seats in the web of the carwheel, pass through the disk 10, and serve to clamp the disk-13 against said disk 10: Bolts 15 secure thetwo sections'of the 'eccentric together, and each section is further rabbeted on its periphery at 124`for'a purpose yhereinafter stated. Secured between-the sections-ofthe eccentric is a rin 16 havingadepen'ding rib 16 ,Which fitsfin tclie groove Vformed bythe rabbeted'portions 124 of thev sectional eccentric. This ring is 'Vilanged on each side at 162 to fit' upon the peripheries ofthe eccentric-sections and has a circun'iferential rib or frog engaging portion 171. To eH'ect the throw of these eccentrics, mechanisms ofvarious kindsV may be employed different from that shown; but I have illustrated for connecting-rods ticulated at 18 18',- and to said rods are arshort-links v19, which are conare threaded into this purpose a pair'of y nected to the endsiofI the lever 9. c Each of said links is articulatedto a1wrist-pin'20, projecting from the Sidel ofthe inner eccentricdisk 122, as-illustrated more particularlyin Figs. 2 andB, A spring 21, connected tothe end bar ofthe truck-frame at one end and at its opposite end to any arm of the lever 9, serves to shift said lever and the various eccentrics to their normal positions when the valve (not shown) is shifted to cut ofl"l the supply of motive fluid to the pipe :6;

From what has been stated it will be seen that when fluid is'admitted tothe cylinder 5 the piston thereof will'be drivenforward and through its connection with the lever 9 will rock said lever on its pivot 9 thereby causing through the connections described a simultaneous yShift of allo'f the IOO eccentricsfrom position illustrated in Fig; 3,

thereby 'throwing the rib portions17A offthe rings 16 actuated by said eccentrics, downward in readiness to engage a fixed frog A of the track and causing the wheels 3 to leave the main track 4 and to engage the branch track 22.

In Fig. 6 a modification is illustrated; and in this modiiication the perforated disk 10 is dispensed with and the car-wheel is formed without an extending hub. Otherwise the construction is the same and the parts are designated by the same reference-numerals, with the exception of the rib- 23, which in said modification is shown located at one side of the ring 16. In this modification and by the omission of the disk 10, as aforesaid, the inner rabbeted portions of the sectional eccentrics are received in rabbets 24 in the bodies of the car-wheels, and the disk 13 engages the parts in the same mamier as in the other construction.

It will be obvious that by use of the mechanism described the car is always under the perfect control of the motorman, and when approaching a branch track on which it is desired to switch said car said motorman by means in common use and not shown will admit air to the cylinder, which through the connections described will actuate the eccentrics and cause the car to leave the track upon which it is running and to take the side Vor branch track.

Modifications may be made in the various details of the mechanism employed without departure from the invention, and while compressed air is preferably employed as the motive fluid the invention is not limited in this respect.

Various devices different from those shown may also be employed for shifting the eccentrics, the invention not being limited to the precise construction illustrated and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In car-switching mechanism, the combination, with a truck, and with axles and their wheels carried by said truck, of eccentrics mounted on the wheels; means for simultaneously actuatingv the eccentrics; a track; a branch track; a frog; and means actuated by the eccentrics for engaging the frog and switching the truck from one track to another.

2. In car-switching mechanism, the combination, with a truck and its wheels, of eccentries, one carried by each wheel; rings, each having a ribbed portion, actuated by the eccentries; and means for simultaneously shifting said eccentrics.

3. The combination, with a truck, and with its axles and wheels, of eccentrics mounted for movement on the wheels, rings, each having a flange for engaging afrog, actuated by said eccentrics; and means for simultaneously shifting the eccentrics.

4. The combination, with a truck, its axles and wheels, of eccentrics; rings actuated by said eccentrics; a pivoted lever; connections between said lever and the eccentrics', rings actuated by the eccentrics, and having circumferentially-disposed ribs; and means for actuating the pivoted lever.

5. The combination, with a truck, its axles, and wheels of an eccentric mounted for movement on each wheel; a ring having a rib on its periphery surrounding each eccentric; means for holding the eccentrics in place on the wheels; devices for actuating the eccentrics; a cylinder; and means for connecting the piston-rod of said cylinder to an element of the eccentric-actuating devices.

6. In car-switching mechanism, the combination, with a car-wheel, of an eccentric mounted for rotation thereon; and a ring having a circumferential rib actuated. by said eccentric.

7. In car-switching mechanism, the combination, with a car-wheel, of eccentric-rings mounted for movement on said wheel; and a ring having a peripheral rib, and surrounding said eccentric-rings.

8. In car-switching mechanism, the combination, with a car-wheel having a rabbeted portion, of a sectional eccentric mounted for movement around said rabbeted portion; means for securing said sectional eccentric in position; and a ring fitted over said sectional eccentric, and having a peripheral rib,

9. In car-switching mechanism, the combination, with a car-wheel having a rabbeted portion, of a sectional eccentric mounted for movement around said rabbeted portion; means for securing said sectional eccentric in position, a ring fitted over said sectional eccentric, and having a peripheral rib g and means for actuating said sectional eccentric.

10. A car-wheel combined with an eccentric mounted for movement thereon, and having a peripheral groove; a ring surrounding said eccentric, and having a tongue iitting said peripheral groove on its inner side, and a circumferential rib on its periphery.

1 1. A car-wheel having a rabbeted portion combined with an eccentric fitted over said rabbeted portion; a disk for securing said eccentric in place; and a ring having a peripheral rib, said ring being fitted over the eccentric.

12. The combination, with main and branch tracks, of a stationary frog located at the iuncture of said. tracks; a truck; axles and wheels carried by the truck; and movable devices carried by the wheels for engaging the frog and switching the truck.

13. The combination, with a truck, and its axles and wheels, of eccentrics movably mounted on the wheels; rings surrounding the eccentrics, and each having a circumferential rib, means for simultaneously shifting the eccentrics in one direction; and means for returning said eccentrics to normal positions.

14. The combination, with a truck, and its IOO ISC

aXles and Wheels, of eccentrics, .one movable In testimony Whereol affix my signature` adjacent to each Wheel rings operated by the in presence of tWo Witnesses. eccentrics, and each having a peripheral rib;

a pivoted lever; means connecting said lever HARRY E' SHARP- 5 With the eccentrics; and a pneumatic cylin- Witnesses:

der, the rod of which is connected to said F. E. ANDERSON,

lever. FRANCES E. BLODGETT; 

